Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

We love Italian food.  (If only you knew how much of an understatement that is...)  It ranks up there with Jesus, each other, our children and chocolate.  Do not underestimate the love of Italian food in this house. Give us pasta, garlic, olive oil and just about any kind of sauce and we are happy people.  We have garlic breath, but we're happy.  At least it's only Paco and Jamie smoochin' each other in the kitchen.  No one else would want to!

When we were first married and I was learning more about cooking, I knew I wanted to find a good homemade spaghetti sauce recipe.  I found one pretty early on and have made it about a million times over the years.  Okay, maybe not a million, but a ton anyways.  This recipe will make enough sauce for two meals, although I have a feeling with three boys growing up here, it won't stay that way for much longer.

Here we go...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 t. dried basil
1 1/2 t. pepper
2 t. salt
1 T. sugar
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
1 T. olive oil

Directions:

Brown beef in a skillet, drain and transfer into large pot.  Combine peppers, onions, celery in pot.  In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients; add to beef mixture.  Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally (swatting hubby with the wooden spoon for sampling before it's ready and then kiss him, hoping that will hold him over).  Remove bay leaves.  Serve over cooked pasta.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes:  You can always add mushrooms if you'd like.  Paco is a major fan of fungus, Jamie is (for some strange reason) not.  Also, be sure to remove the bay leaves!  The bay leaves absorb all the acid produced in the sauce and if they're eaten, they could produce major upset stomach yuckiness.  And nobody wants that.  The garlic breath is enough to contend with.

Set the table in romantic kind of way for seven, complete with plastic plates and sippy cups.  Look at each other lovingly as five children are happily slurping up spaghetti a la Lady and the Tramp.  Wait.  Maybe that's just our house.  Okay, technically only four kids are eating spaghetti.  Baby Jack will be joining them in no time, though.  Better start doubling this batch.

As always, if you try this let us know what you think! 

PS This freezes beautifully in Ziploc gallon bags.  When you freeze it, make sure you lay it flat in the freezer so it doesn't freeze into sharp angles, causing the bag to get holes.  As it's defrosting, I always put it in a bowl in the sink to catch any drips.